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Carter placed on waivers. Update.

The Ducks have placed forward Ryan Carter on waivers, a team spokesperson has confirmed. The other 29 NHL teams have the opportunity to claim him, based on the reverse order of finish, and Carter could have a new home announced at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

The move also raises some questions for the Ducks.
Is the team looking to make room for another forward – and if
so, who? The people’s choice would be Teemu Selanne, who hasn’t publicly
indicated whether or not he will return for 2010-11. The more likely
choice would be a player who can immediately fill the role Carter has
played since joining the Ducks in 2007 – that of a depth center who can
fill in on the wings.

It’s possible that management likes what it’s seen from Nick Bonino between his brief NHL look last season and in conditioning camp. With four natural centers (Ryan Getzlaf, Saku Koivu, Kyle Chipchura and Todd Marchant) already in the fold, there’s not a lot of room for both Carter and Bonino. Less likely, but not impossible, is that the team would like to make room for 19-year-old center Peter Holland.

The other pressing question is, who will win a faceoff?

The answer isn’t likely to come from within, as only Carter (52.5%) and Saku Koivu (51.4%) finished last season above 50 percent in the circle. MacGregor Sharp, who split last season between the ECHL, AHL and NHL, won 53.6 percent of his faceoffs in an eight-game stint with the Ducks. Among the capable UFA centers still available are John Madden, Mike Modano and Jeff Halpern.

Of course, the Ducks might not be looking to make room for anyone. The team has 12 forwards who
finished
last season on the NHL roster already under contract,
and would like to add a 13th in Bobby Ryan.

Carter, 26, had four goals and nine points in 38 games last season, the second year of a three-year contract he inked in 2008.

About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.